Sheet gripping device



Dec. 17, 1935. F, R. BELLUCHE ,140

SHEET GRIPPING DEVICE Filed April 23, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1935- I F.R. BELLUCHE 2,

SHEET GRIPPlNG DEVICE Fil ed Apri1."23, 1954 Z'SheetS-Shee't 2 &

Fran/r H fi /bmz- Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITFEDFSFTATES SHEE'T'GRIPPINGDEVICE Frank R. Belluche, Racine, Wis

.assignor ,to

Christensen Machine Company, Racine; Wis,

a corporation'of Wisconsin ApplicationApri123, 1934, Serial No."121,921

This invention relates to sheet grippers for printing machines andrefersmore particularly to what is known in the printing art as" agripper' bar. Devices of this'charactergenerally form part of a movableconveyer to carry sheets from one location to another and'comprise acrossbar on which a plurality of individual grippers are mounted to besimultaneously closed and opened. It is an object of thisinvention toprovide a gripper bar of the character described, which is of compactconstruction with its weight centered closelyabout the axis of the barto thereby diminish the throwing eifect of centrifugal-force as thebaris carried'arojund turns. v i Another object of this invention is toprovide an improved construction for gripper bars wherein the meansforopening the individual grippers is located within the supporting baras distinguished from past constructions in which the gripper openingmeans is located entirely outside the supporting ban And a furtherobject of this invention is to' generally improve and simplify theconstruction of gripper bars of this'character.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illus- I 35 trated one completeexample of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed accordingto the best mode I have so'fardevised for the practical application ofthe principles thereof, and in which:

49 Figure 1 is a side view of a gripper bar embodying this invention,the central portion thereof being broken away;

Figure 2 is anenlargedend view taken on the plane of the line 2-2inFigure 1, and illustrating the manner in which the baris attached to aconveyer chain; I

Figure 3 is a-top view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2,with portions, broken away and in section showing the detailedconstruction at oneend of the bar;

Figure 4 is a cross section view taken through Figure 3 on the plane ofthe line 4-4;

Figure 5 is a cross section view taken through 55 Figure 1 on the planeof the line 55;

"closely centered about preclude excessive throwing resulting from theWith the above and other obiectsin view which effect of centrifugalforce.

a lever i6 clamped thereto.

end of the inner'tube Figure 6 is a detail section view taken throughFigure 5 onthe-plane of the line 6-6; and v Figure '7 is a detailsection view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 1---'I.

Referring nowm'ore particularly to the accom 5 panying drawing'sflfinwhich like numerals indicate likeparts throughout the several views, thenumeral 5 designates the outer supporting tube of the bar upon whichthegrippers 6 aremounted and within which a gripper actuatingtube I1 is 10disposed; At-its-ends the tube 5 has bushings 8 (see Figure 3) whichprovide hearings to rotatably mount the gripper actuating tube 1.

Fixed'to the i ends of the outer. supporting tube 5 are coupling membersor supporting brackets 9.15

and "|-U, by which-'"the'bar isattached" to avpair of endless conveyerchains H, indicatedi in construction lines in Figures2 and 3."

m The chains 1 I support the entire structure and carry the samealong'the desired path of rhove- 20 merit, and asthe chains are often ofnecessity trained about small. diameter sprockets, it is essential thatthe weight of the gripper bars be the axis of the bar to In pastconstructions, this was not easily accomplished-inview of the fa'ct'thatthe gripper actuating mechanism was always mounted exteriorly of thesupporting bar, but in the present invention; this objection is entirelyovercome by the novel telescoped construction employed.

The end coupling members or' supporting brackets 9 and [Bare clamped tothe ends of the outer tubes 5 by having their attaching hubs I2 splitand providedwith clamping screws l3. Both end members 9 and I0, have endwalls l4 at their extreme outer ends provided with spaced holes toreceive attaching pins l5 by which the gripper bar is connected to theconveyer chains l.. 4 At the end of the structure at which the"supporting bracket 9 is located, the inner'tube I has v A short hub I'Iextends fromthelever l6 into the end of the outer supporting tube 5'toengage the adjacent end of the bearing bushing 8 and thereby'limitrelative axialor longitudinal movement between the inner tubeand outertubes in one direction. Endwise shifting in the opposite direction isrestrained bya collar I 8 clamped tothe opposite 1 and likewise providedwith a hub which projects into the adjacent end of the outer tube toengage the adjacent bearing bushing 8. I

The lever I6 carries a roller l9 at its outer free 5 end to track on acam 20 indicated in construction lines in Figure 4,,which is fixedlymounted at the point in the path of movement of the gripper bars atwhich opening of the grippers is desired.

. In riding over the cam 20, the roller l9, through its mounting leverl6, imparts a degree of counter-clockwise rotation to the inner tube Ias viewed in Figure 4. This counter-clockwise rotation on the part ofthe inner tube, with respect to the outer tube is utilized to open thegrippers 6.

The specific construction of the grippers is best illustrated in Figure5. As here shown, each gripper comprises stationary and movable jaws 23and 24 respectively. Thestationary jaw 23 is formed by one end of a fiatmetal strip 2! partially encircling the outer supporting tube 5 andsecured thereto by'screws 26. v I 7 At both ends, the strip 23 isreduced in width and one end is 'bent back on itself to provide thestationary jaw 23 and its otherend is curled back to provide a bearing2lfor a hinge pin 23, which mounts the movable jaw-24.

The movable jaw 24 is preferably, stamped from sheet metalv andcomprises a curved arm23, the outer end ofwhich provides the jaw,24 andthe inner end of which has twoparallelarms'fll, extending inwardlytherefrom to overlie the ends of the bearing '21 and projectthroughopenings 3| and 32 in the outer supporting tube 5 and the inneractuatingtube I, respectively. The hinge pin 28 has its endspassingthrough the arms 30 to thereby hingedly mount the movable jaw aswill be readily apparent,- I The movable jaw of the gripper is yieldablyurged to'its closed sheet gripping position by a spring 33 confinedbetween a short rearward extension 34 on the arm 29 and the adjacentportion of the strip 25,.which carries a'lug 35 to. engage the springend. Each gripper is thusindependently closed. Y A

The extreme end of the parallel arms 30, which project into theopenings32 in the inner actuating tube I carry a roller with which the side edge31 of the opening 32 engages upon counterclockwise rotation oftheactuating tube effected by the roller l9 riding up on the cam 20, ashere- I inbefore described, to swing the arm 23 about its hingedmounting 28. In this manner all of the grippers are simultaneouslyopened. v

To" insure complete closure of the grippers by their. individual springs33,- the ,inner actuating tube I is yieldably urged to a-position ofclockwise rotationat which the edges 3! of its several openings 32 arespaced from the rollers 36 on the actuating: arms of the grippers; Thisfunction is attained bya comp'ressionjspring 33 located atthe end of thegripper bar at which the coupling member or bracket III is mounted.

The spring 39 is coiled about a pin 40, which is adjustably-threaded asat 4| in a boss 42 on the member ID. The oppositeend of the pin passes,freely through anopening. 43 in alug or arm 44 carried by and extendingendwise'from the collar l8, so that the spring, 3315 confined betweenthe arm or lug44tand the boss 42 on the member I0 I 3 To limitthemovement of the collar 13 and consequently the-tube 1 in response-to theaction --of the spring 39, a head 45 is provided on-the outer end of thepin against which the lug or arm 43 abuts. The limit .of: movement thusdefined is adjustable by threading the pin into and out of the opening-4|, alock nut 41 beingprovided to secure the pin in adjusted position.

be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to to which thisinvention appertains, that a novel and improved gripper bar constructionhas been provided in which the objectionable effects of centrifugalforce are reduced to a minimum by locating the gripper actuating meanswithin a 15 hollow supporting bar.

Whatl claim as my invention is:

1. A sheet gripping device of the character described comprising, aplurality of telescoped relatively rotatable tubes, complementaryhingedly 20 connected movableand stationary gripping jaws forming a loopabout, said tubes, detachable means for sec'uring the stationary jaw tothe outer tube to detachably mount the assembled grippingjaws ontheouter tube and means to 26 open the jaws upon relative rotation ofsaid tubes.

2.. Asheet gripping device of the character described comprising, atubular supporting member, sheetgripping means including amovable 30gripper jaw, means substantially embracing the tubular supporting memberand detachably secured thereto for mounting the gripping means on saidsupporting member, means to yieldably urge the movable gripper jaw toits closed sheet 35 gripping position i and means within the tubularsupporting member to move the movable gripper jaw to its open sheetreleasing position.

3. A sheet gripping device of the character described comprising, atubular support, a mov- 40 ablegripper jaw hingedly mounted on theexterior of the support, a part fixed to the movable gripper to swingabout the axis of the hinged mounting for the movable gripper andextending into the tubular support; and an'actuating mem- 45 4. A sheetgripping device of the character de scribed comprising, a tubularsupport, a movable gripper jaw hingedly mounted on the exterior of saidsupport and having apart projecting into the interior thereof; means toyieldably urge the jaw to its closed sheet gripping position, and anactuating. member rotatable within the tubular supportand engaging saidpart of the gripper jaw to move the same against the action of itsyieldable urging means to open'sheet releasing position.

5. A sheet gripping device of the character de-- scribed comprising,f atubular supporting member, an actuating member rotatably mounted withinthe tubular supporting member, a'plurality of movable gripper jawshingedly mounted on the exterior of the supporting tube with partsprojecting through openings in the tube for. engagement with theactuating member therein, and means'to turn the actuating member tosimultaneously move all of the gripper jaws.

6. A sheet gripping device of the character described comprising, atubular supporting member, complementary hingedly connected stationaryand movable gripping jaws, said jaws together forming a loop, encirclingthe supporting member, the stationaryjaw having a portion in contactwith the exterior of the supporting member, securing means fixing saidportion of the stationary jaw to the support so as to mount theassembled complementary jaws on the support, the movable jaw having apart projecting into the interior of the tubular support, and meanswithin the tubular support and engageable with said part for moving themovable jaw.

7. A. sheet grippingdevice of the character described comprising, asupporting tube, hingedly connected stationary andmovablegripping jawsforming a loop about the tube and mounted on the exterior thereof, themovable jaw having a part projecting through an opening in the tube intothe interior thereof, a spring to yieldably urge the jaws to closedposition, and a rotatable actuating tube within the supporting tube andconnected with said part of the movable jaw for opening the jaws.

8. A gripper bar of the .character described comprising, a supportingtube, means at the end of the tube to attach the sameto conveyer chains,an actuating member rotatably mounted within the tube, means carried'bythe actuating member for imparting rotation thereto with respect to thesupporting tube, and complementary stationary and movable gripper jawscarried by the supporting tube, the'movabie gripper jaws having partsprojecting into the interior of the supporting tube and engaging theactuating memher to be movable upon rotation of said actuating member. a1

9. A gripper bar comprising, a supporting tube, means at the ends of thebar for attaching the same to conveyer chains,: an actuating memberwithin the supporting tube, bearings to rotatably mount the actuatingmember for relative rotation with respect to the tubeabout the axisofthe tube, means connected with the actuating member to yieldably urgethe same to a predetermined position of rotation with respect to thetube, means connected with the actuating member and engageable with acam .toturn the actuating member against the action of its yieldableurging means, and complementary stationary and movable gripper jawscarried by the supporting tube, the movable jaws having parts projectingthrough openings in the supporting tube for engagement with theactuating member, whereby rotation of the actuating member actuates themovable jaws.

10. In a sheet grippingdevice of the character described, a supportingtube, an actuating tube telescoped within the supporting tube androtatable with respect thereto, said tubes having openings opposite eachother, a movable gripper jaw on the exterior of the supporting tube,mounting means for the gripper jaw fixed to the outside, of thesupporting tube, means hingedly connecting the gripper jaw with saidmounting means, a part carried by the gripper jaw and projecting,through the opening in the supporting tube and extending into theopening in the actuating tube, whereby rotation of the actuating tubemoves the gripper jaw, and means to move the actuating tube with respectto the supporting tube.

11. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a supportingbar, complementary stationary and movable gripper jaws carried by thesupporting bar, the stationary jaw being of arouate shape with itsinside diameter such that the stationary jaw fits the outside diameterof the tubular supporting bar and partially encircles the supportingbar, means for detachably securing the stationary jaw to the supportingbar, said stationary jaw having a portion formed to prorotation thereof.a

vide a sheet engaging surface,,mea'ns to hingedly connect the movablejaw to the stationary jaw =for swinging movementto and from engagementwith the sheet engaging portion of the stationary jaw, and yieldablemeans carried by the com- 5 plementary jaws to urge'the movable jaw toits closed sheet gripping position.

12. Ina sheet gripping device of the character described, a. tubularsupporting bar, complementary stationary and movable gripperjaws'carried by the tubular supportingbar, the stationary jaw being ofarcuate shape with, its inside diameter such that the stationary jawfits the outside diameter of the tubular supporting bar and partiallyencircles thetubular supporting bar, means for detachably securing thestationary jaw to the supporting bar, said stationary jaw having a'portion formed to; provide a sheet engaging surface, means to hingedly.connect the movable jaw to the stationary jaw for swinging movementto,and from engagement with the sheet engaging portion of the stationaryjaw, yieldable means carried by thecomplementary jawsto urge the movablejaw to its closed sheet gripping, position, and means within the tubularSupporting bar for swingingthe movable jaw about its hingedconnection-with the stationary jaw to an open sheet releasing position.

13. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a supportingtube, anactuating member rotatable within the supporting tube about theaxis of the tube, stop means secured to the ends of the actuating memberto holdthefsame against endwise shifting with respect to the supportingtube, coupling members secured to the ends of the supporting tube forconnecting the tube to conveyer chains, means carried by one of the stopmeans and the adjacent coupling member for yieldably urging theactuatingmember to a predetermined position of rotation with 40 respect to thesupporting tube, "a cam follower carried by the other oi saidstop meansand engageable with a stationarycam upon passage of the devicetherepastto impart rotation to, the

actuating member against the actionof said yieldable means, and movablegripper jaws carried by the supporting tube and having parts projectinginto the interior thereof for engagement with the actuating member to beoperable thereby upon '14. In a sheet gripping device, a supporting bar,a stationary gripper jaw fixed to the supporting bar and having a sheetengagingportion spaced from the supporting bar, a movable jaw hingedly 7connected to the stationary jaw and forming therewith a loop encirclingthe supporting bar with its free end portion engageable with said sheetengagingportion, and means adjacent the sheet engaging portions of thejaws to provide a stop to straighten the sheetpreparatoryto'being'60gripped by said jaws.

15. In a sheetgripping device of the character described,'a supportingbar, hingedly connected complementary movable and stationary jawsforming a loop encircling the supporting .bar, means for detachablysecuring the assembled jaws to the supporting bar, and stop means heldin place on the supporting bar by the samesecuring meansand having aportion adjacent the sheet engagingpartsof the jaws against which asheet is brought to bear to definitely locate the sheet with respect tothe jaws and the carrier bar.

16. A sheet grippirm device for use with printing machines and the likecomprising a supporting tube, means at the ends of the tube forconnecting the same with conveyer chains, complementary hingedlyconnectedstationary and movablejaws forming a loop about. the supportingtube, means for readily detachably securing the fixed jaw'to thesupporting tube, an arm carried by the movable jaw and projectingthrough an opening in the supporting tube into the interior thereof, andan actuating member rotatable within the supporting tube and readilydetachably connected with said arm for actuating the movable gripper. II 17. A sheet gripping device for printing machines and the likecomprising a supporting tube, means at the ends of the tube forconnecting the same with conveyer chains, an arcuate band embracing thesupporting tube and having one end portion bent to form a sheet engagingpart, means for detachablysecuring said band to the tube,'a movable jawhingedly connected to said band with its freeend portion arranged toengage said sheet engaging part, an arm carried by the movable jaw andextending through an opening in the tube into the interior thereof, andmeans within the tube'connected with saidarm for actuating the movablejaw.

18.A sheet gripping andconvey ng device for use with printing machinesand the like comprising a supporting'tube, means at the endsoif the tubefor connecting the same with conveyer chains, a fixed jaw'in the form ofa metal band embracing the tube and having one end portion thereof bentto provide a sheet engaging surface spaced from the exterior of thetube, means'for detachably securing the fixed'jaw to the tube, a movablejaw hingedly connected to the fixed jaw and supported thereby with itsfree end portion engageable with the sheet engaging portion of the fixedjaw, spring means to hold the jaws closed,'and means for opening thejaws.

, 19. As an article of manufacture, a pair of complementary sheetgripping jaws attachable to a supporting ba'rand comprising astationaryjaw in the form or a substantially arcuate metal band adaptedto embrace and be secured to the supporting bar, one end portion ofsaid-band being shaped-to provide a sheet engaging surface, and amovable jaw one end of which is engageable with the sheet engagingportion 01 the fixed jaw,

, a pair of parallel spaced arms carried byth'e opposite end portion oftheimovable jaw straddling the opposite endoi said band, a hinge pinconnecting said arms and said end portion of the band, and spring meansfor yieldingly holding the jaws closed. 1

20. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a supportingbar, hingedly connected complementary movable and stationary jawsforming a loopencircling the supporting bar, the

stationary jaw being in directengagement with the supporting bar andhaving a' sheet engaging portion spaced from the outside oi-thesupporting bar, means for detachably securing said portion of the fixedjaw to the supporting bar, the

forming a loop encircling the supporting bar, the stationary jaw beingin the form of an arcuate metal band directly engaging the exterior ofthe supporting bar with one end bent outwardly to provide a sheetengaging surface spaced from the 5 supporting bar, means hingedlyconnecting the I opposite end portion of the stationary jaw with themovablejaw intermediate the ends of the movable jaw, one end ofthe'movable jaw being engageable with the sheet engaging portion oi 10the stationary jaw, spring means confined between the opposite endof themovable jaw and the adjacent portion of the'stationary jaw to yieldinglyholdthe jaws-closed, and means for opening theiaws. I 15 '22. In a sheetgripping device of the character described, a'supporting tube, meansfixed to the supporting tube and providing a sheet engaging surfacespaced from the outside surface of the tube, a movable jaw, meanspivotally mounting 20 the movable jaw from the supporting tube so that afree end of the movable jaw is engageable with said sheet engagingportion, spring means to urge the movable jaw into gripping engagementwith said sheet engaging portion, and means within 25 the supportingtube and having a connection with the movable jaw for actuating the sameto disentioni gage its'iree end from said sheet engaging por- 23. mesheet gripping device of the character 0 described, a supporting tube, ametal band fixed to the outside of the supporting tube and having an endportion bent to provide a sheet engaging surface spaced from theexterior of the tube, a movable jaw', means pivotally mounting the mov-35 able jaw from the supporting tube at a distance arcuately spaced fromthe said sheet engaging ing in the supporting'tube into the interiorthereof, and actuating means rotatable within the sup- 45 porting tubeand connected with said arm to .movethe jaw in opposition tosaid springmeans for disengaging the same from the sheet engaging portion. 1

24. In a sheet gripping device of the charac- 5 ter described, asupporting tube, a stationary jaw fixed to the exterior ofthe'supporting tube and having a sheet engaging portion spaced outwardlyfrom the exterior of the tube, a stop also fixed to the tube anddisposed adjacent said sheet en- 55 gaging portion of the stationary jawagainst which a. sheet abuts to be properly located with respect to saidsheet engaging portion, a movable jaw, means pivotally mounting themovable jaw from the supporting tube in such position that 5 a free endportion of the movable jaw is engageable with the sheet engaging portionoi the stationary jaw in agripping action, spring means to urge themovable jaw. into gripping engagement with the sheet engaging portion ofthe stationary 65 jaw, an armon the movable jaw extending into theinterior oi the tube, and actuating means rotatable within the tube andengaged with said arm for disengaging the movable jaw from the sheetengaging portion of the stationary jaw. 70

FRANK R. BELLUCHE.

